Diabetes UK: NICE refusal to make Lucentis available on NHS for treatment of diabetic macular oedema

Diabetes UK: NICE refusal to make Lucentis available on NHS for treatment of diabetic macular oedema

Diabetes UK: NICE refusal to make Lucentis available on NHS for treatment of diabetic macular oedema

Diabetes UK: “This decision means more people will needlessly lose their sight. We pressed hard to make this treatment available on the NHS and we will campaign for NICE to reconsider its decision. The cost of looking after people with sight loss far outweighs the cost of Lucentis treatment, let alone the human cost.

“We are very concerned local health services will use this decision as an excuse to stop treatment. We will monitor the situation across the country closely to ensure patients currently receiving Lucentis continue to do so as per the NICE guidance. We would also like to see urgent testing into alternative treatments for diabetic macular oedema.”

NICE: “Ranibizumab [Lucentis] is not recommended for the treatment of visual impairment due to diabetic macular oedema.

“People currently receiving Lucentis for the treatment of visual impairment due to diabetic macular oedema have the option to continue treatment until they and their clinicians consider it appropriate to stop.”

What is the issue?

NICE has refused to make Lucentis available on the NHS for the treatment of diabetic macular oedema – an eye condition affecting around 50,000 people with diabetes in the UK.

Lucentis is the first licensed treatment to improve vision and vision-related quality of life in people with sight loss due to diabetic macular oedema.

Please phone for spokes people and case studies.

Thanks

Huw

Huw Beale
Senior Media Officer

Diabetes UK
Macleod House
10 Parkway, London NW1 7AA

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